Mercury distributing structure for electrolysis cells and the like



2 Sheets-Sheet l Apnl 30, 1968 G. BARTHEL ET AL MERCURY DISTRIBUTING STRUCTURE FOR ELECTROLYSIS CELLS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 9, 1963 Fig. Z

10 venfars 6 in f r Earflai CioMefi I la/k April 30, 1968 BARTHEL ET AL 3,380,906

MERCURY DISTRIBUTING STRUCTURE FOR ELECTROLYSIS CELLS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 9, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. 4

Fig. 5 5b 3 5c 6d Fig. 7 {7 1 5 a 951 F 19' 3 96 C) (:3 s J F J 7c Fly. 9 I4 7d f C J C J C 9d .7nvenf0r5 United States Patent 3,380 906 MERCURY DESTRIBUTTNG STRUCTURE FOR ELECTRQLYSIS CELLS AND THE LIKE Giinter Barthel, Beriin-Grunewald, Giinther Schulz, Beri'm-Charlottenburg, and Axel Halmdorlf, Berlin-Siemensstadt, Germany, assignors to Pintsch Bamag AG.,

Berlin, Germany Filed Dec. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 329,164 Claims priority, ap licatiOF IgYgrmany, Dec. 13, 1962,

6 Qlairns. (Cl. 204-220) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE in an apparatus for distributing mercury which forms a horizontally moving mercury cathode in an alkali chloride electrolysis cell, in combination, a container for receiving recirculated mercury, an elongated distributing member carried by the container in the interior thereof and having at one end an inlet opening through which mercury flows into the distributing member, the distributing member having a closed end distant from the inlet opening thereof, and the distributing member having a lower horizontal wall portion and at least front and rear elongated wall portions extending upwardly from the lower wall portion to define therewith a channel for receiving the mercury, and means located within the channel at the front Wall portion of the distributing member and in the path of mercury fiowing in the channel, the means being operative for effecting discharging of the mercury from the distributing member past the front wall portion thereof into the container in a uniform, waveree manner.

The present invention relates to alkali chloride electrolysis cells in which a horizontally flowing mercury cathode is circulated. In particular, the present invention relates to the structure for controlling the flow of the recirculated mercury back into a container of such an electrolysis cell.

In conventional cells of this type there is a container which receives the recirculated mercury, and from this container the mercury which has been freed from the amalgam flows into the cell. Such a container will be provided usually with recesses in its bottom wall and with bafiles which retain sodium hydroxide and graphite particles in the container to prevent the flow of these impurities into the amalgam decomposer and thus prevent these impurities from flowing into the cell itself.

With such constructions it is well known that proper operation requires a uniform free flow of the mercury along the bottom wall of the cell to prevent improper operation, but these results have not yet been satisfactorily achieved. While it has been attempted to introduce the mercury centrally into a container which widens gradually in a funnelshaped manner from the inlet in order to provide a uniform distribution of the mercury over the entire width of the cell, as well as arrangements Where the mercury is introduced from below by a pump or the like into a container of triangular configuration, for example, nevertheless these known arrangements have the disadvantage of requiring extremely long containers to obtain a wave-free flow of the mercury and in practice if a relatively short container receives the mercury the high kinetic energy of the flowing mercury results in nonuniform mercury distribution and the formation of waves which are of such a magnitude that they wash over the first anodes and produce short circuits. Thus, in order to avoid this drawback the distance between the anodes and the flowing mercury cathode at the inlet end of the cell has been made much greater than the normal electrode distance for such cells in order to prevent the possibility of short circuiting by such waves. The result is that higher cell voltages are required with correspondingly higher comsumption of energy.

It is thus a primary object of the present invention to provide a structure where the mercury is received in a compact container of relatively small dimensions while at the same time a uniform wave-free flow of the mercury is guaranteed so that wave of the type referred to above cannot form.

It is furthermore an object of the present invention to provide a structure which can easily be adapted to the characteristics of the flow'of mercury of a given cell assembly.

In particular it is an object of the invention to provide a uniform, wave-free flow of mercury into the inlet end of a container which can be relatively short.

In addition, the objects of the present invention include the provision of a structure which is extremely simple and inexpensive and very reliable in operation. With these objects in view the invention includes, in an alkali chloride electrolysis cell of the type referred to above, a container for receiving recirculated mercury and a distributing member extending horizontally across the interior of the container and having at one end an inlet through which the mercury flows into the distributing member, this member having a closed end distant from the inlet. This distributing member has a bottom wall portion and elongated longitudinal front and rear wall portions which define with the bottom wall portion an elongated channel for receiving the mercury, and a discharge means cooperates with the front wall portion for discharging mercury past the front wall portion in a uniform wave-free manner from the interior of the distributing member into the container.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accom panying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of a container for receiving recirculated mercury, the section of FIG. 1 being taken along line A-B of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a topplan view of the container;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of part of the container of FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the container assembly with a distributing member and mercury discharge means according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the distributing member and discharge means of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary front elevation of another embodiment of a distributing member and discharge means of the invention;

FIG. 6a is a transverse sectional view of the structure 3 of FIG. 6, the section of FIG. 6a being taken between the ends of the structure of FIG. 6;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of another embodiment of a distributing member and discharge means according to the invention;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation of still another embodiment of a distributing member and discharge means of the invention; and

FIG. 9 is a front elevation of yet another embodiment of a distributing member and discharge means according to the invention.

There is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. a container 1 for receiving recirculated mercury, and a side wall of the container 1 is formed with an opening 2 for receiving and supporting part of a distributing member according to the present invention. FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of a distributing member 3 mounted in the container 1, and the details of the distributing member 3 are shown most clearly in FIGS. 4 and 5. This distributing member 3 is in the form of an elongated trough which has an elongated bottom wall portion and front and rear longitudinal wall portions defining with the bottom wall portion a channel for receiving the mercury. The member 3 is provided at one end with an inlet 4 in the form of a cylindrical sleeve mounted directly in the opening 2 and connected as shown in FIG. 3 to a conduit through which mercury flows through the inlet 4 into the distributing member 3. At its end distant from the inlet 4 the member 3 has an end wall 5 formed integrally therewith and closing the end of the member 3 distant from its inlet 4.

A discharge means cooperates with the elongated front wall portion of the distributing member 3 to discharge the mercury therein past the front wall portion from the interior of the member 3 into the container 1 in a uniform, wave-free manner, and in the illustrated example this discharge means takes the form of a plurality of baflle elements 6a6d of substantially L-shaped configuration each having one leg fixed to the front wall portion of the member 3 in the interior thereof and another leg directed toward the inlet 4, as shown most clearly in FIG. 5. As is apparent from FIG. 5 the baffle elements 6a-6d have their legs which are respectively fixed to the front wall portion of the distributing member 3 of progressively greater lengths as the distance of the baflle elements from the inlet 4 is greater. The rear Wall portion of the distributing member 3 terminates in an upper edge which is slightly higher than the upper edge of the front wall portion. Moreover, the distributing member 3 is angularly adjustable in the opening 2 so that by angularly adjusting the member 3 the elevation of the upper edges of the front and rear wall portions can be adjusted for the particular characteristics of the flow of the mercury. The mercury flows into the distributing member 3 at a rate which gradually diminishes toward the closed end 5 so that while the first baffle element 60 extends into the stream to a lesser extent than the remaining baflle elements nevertheless the mercury has a higher kinetic energy at the location of the baflle element 6a 50 that at this location the rate of flow of mercury spilling over the upper edge of the front wall portion will equal the rate of flow of the mercury at the other baflies which are of a greater size but cooperate with portions of the mercury having progressively smaller kinetic energy. In this way the illustrated structure will provide a uniform, wave-free discharge of the mercury from the distributing member 3 past the front wall portion thereof into the container 1. Of course the number, distribution and size of the bafile elements can be changed to meet particular characteristics of mercury flow.

In the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and Go, as well as in FIGS. 7-9, the distributing member is in the form of a tube which, however, also has a bottom wall portion and longitudinal front and rear wall portions which together define a channel for receiving the mercury. In the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 6a the tubular member 7a has an open inlet end provided with a flange 9a, and this is the end which is mountedin the opening 2 of the container 1. The distributing member 7a extends horizontally across the interior of the container, substantially across the entire width thereof, as indicated for the distributing member 3 in FIG. 3. In the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 6a the discharge means is formed by a part of the front wall portion of the tubular distributing member 7a which is formed with an elongated horizontal slot 10 of uniform width which extends parallel to the axis of the tubular distributing member. This distributing member 7a is closed at its end distant from its inlet opening by an end wall 8. With this construction the discharge means formed by the part of the front wall portion which is formed with the slot 10 will also provide a uniform wave-free flow of mercury from the interior of the distributing member 7a past the front wall portion thereof into the container 1. It is to be noted that the end of the slot 10 nearest to the inlet is spaced from the latter by a distance substantially greater than the distance between the closed end 8 of the distributing member and the end of the slot 10 nearest thereto. In this way the higher kinetic energy of the mercury in the region of the inlet of the distributing member 7a: will not produce non-uniform wavy flow of the mercury.

The embodiment of FIG. 7 is identical with that of FIG. 6 except for the configuration of the slot which forms the discharge means. Thus, it Will be seen that the tubular member 7b has at its open inlet end and flange 9b corresponding to the flange 9a and is closed at its end distant from the flange 9b. The front wall portion of the distributing member 7b is formed in this case with an elongated slot 11 of triangular configuration having a base 12 which is much shorter than the sides of the slot which extends substantially parallel to the axis of the distributing member 7b, and this shorter base 12 is nearest to the open inlet but spaced therefrom by a distance greater than that between the closed end of the distributing member and the apex of the slot 11.

The tubular distributing members 7c and 7d of FIGS. 8 and 9 are identical with that of FIG. 7 except for the discharge means. Thus, these tubular members respectively have flanges 9c and 9d identical with the flange 9b and located at the open inlet end of the distributing members while their opposite ends are closed. In these embodiments the discharge means is formed by parts of the front wall portions which are formed along lines which are parallel to the axes of the tubular members with a plurality of horizontal slots 13 and 14, respectively, which are distributed along these lines. The horizontal slots, while of uniform width, are of progressively shorter lengths as their distance from the inlet is greater, and moreover they are located progressively nearer to each other as their distance from the inlet is greater, although it will be noted that the longest slot 13 is located from the open inlet by a distance greater than that between the shortest slot and the closed end of the tubular member 70. In the embodiment of FIG. 9 the slots 14 are of equal length and width and are spaced equidistantly from each other although here again the slot 14 which is nearest to the inlet is spaced therefrom by a distance greater than the distance between the closed end of the tubular member 7d and the slot 14 nearest thereto. Thus, these embodiments also will provide uniform wave-free flow of mercury from the interior of the tubular distributing members past the front wall portions thereof into the container 1.

With the embodiments of FIGS. 6-9, as was the case with the embodiment of FIGS. 3-5, the tubular distributing members are angularly turnable in the opening 2 so as to be angularly adjustable for adapting the elevation of the discharge cutouts to the particular characteristics of the mercury flow.

In all embodiments the distributing member and discharge means can be formed from any suitable material such as iron which is clad with a relatively thick coating of nickel. It will be noted that with the structure of the invention the relatively high kinetic energy of the mercury which causes it to How through the inlet to the closed end of the distributing member is effectively braked so as to provide a uniform distribution of the discharging mercury along the length of the distributing member.

Of course, the invention includes other configurations of tubes or troughs provided with cutouts or bafiles of different configurations. For example, the edges of the slots or troughs over which the mercury spills into the container can have a sawtooth configuration where the teeth are of uniform size and distribution or of gradually smaller size as their distance from the inlet is greater. Moreover, the invention can be used with advantage also in those structures where the mercury enters either from below into the container or through the rear wall thereof which is most distant from the cell, this rear wall being shown at the left in FIGS. 1-3.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of alkali chloride electrolysis cells differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in mercury distributors for such cells, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for distributing mercury which forms a horizontally moving mercury cathode in an alkali chloride electrolysis cell, in combination, a container for receiving recirculated mercury; an elongated distributing member carried by said container in the interior thereof and having at one end an inlet opening through which mercury flows into said distributing member, said distributing member having a closed end distant from said inlet opening thereof, and said distributing member having a lower horizontal wall portion and at least front and rear elongated wall portions extending upwardly from said lower wall portion to define therewith a channel for receiving the mercury; and means associated with said channel at said front wall portion of said distributing member and in the path of mercury flowing in said channel, said means being operative for effecting discharging of the mercury rom said distributing member along said front wall portion thereof into said container in a uniform, wave-free manner.

2. In an apparatus for distributing mercury which forms a horizontally moving mercury cathode in an alkali chloride electrolysis cell, in combination, a container for receiving recirculated mercury; an elongated distributing member carried by said container in the interior thereof and having at one end an inlet opening through which mercury flows into said distributing member, said distributing member having a closed end distant from said inlet opening thereof, and said distributing member having a lower horizontal Wall portion and at least front and rear elongated wall portions extending upwardly from said lower wall portion to define therewith a channel for receiving the mercury, said elongated distributing member extending transversely across substantially the entire interior of said container; and means associated with said channel at said front wall portion of said distributing member and in the path of mercury flowing in said channel, said means being operative for effecting discharging of the mercury from said distributing member along said front wall portion thereof into said container in a uniform, wave-free manner.

3. In an apparatus for distributing mercury which forms a horizontally moving mercury cathode in an alkali chloride electrolysis cell, in combination, a container for re ceiving recirculated mercury; an elongated distributing member carried by and extending horizontally across the icontainer in the interior thereof, said distributing member having a longitudinal axis and being supported by said container for angular movement about said axis, said distributing member having an elongated bottom wall portion and front and rear longitudinal wall portions extending upwardly from said bottom wall portion to define therewith a channel for receiving the mercury, said distributing member having at one end an inlet opening through which mercury flows into said distributing member and said distributing member having an opposite closed end; and means carried by said distributing member within said channel and in the path of mercury flowing therein, said means being operative for counteracting the kinetic energy of the flowing mercury and for thereby effecting discharge of the mercury from the interior of said distributing member along said front wall portion into said container in a uniform, wave-free manner, said distributing member being angularly adjustable relative to said container to adapt said discharge means to the rate of flow of mercury into said distributing member.

4. In an apparatus for distributing mercury which forms a horizontally moving mercury cathode in an alkali chloride electrolysis cell, in combination, a container for receiving recirculated mercury; an elongated trough carried by and extending horizontally across the interior of said container, said trough having an open inlet end and an opposite closed end and being composed of a bottom wall portion and front and rear elongated longitudinal side wall portions defining with said bottom Wall portion a channel for receiving mercury; and baflie means carried by said trough in the interior thereof and joined at least to said front wall portion for discharging mercury along said front wall portion from said trough into said container in a uniform, wave-free manner.

5. In an apparatus for distributing mercury which forms a horizontally moving mercury cathode in an alkali chloride electrolysis cell, in combination, a container for receiving recirculated mercury; an elongated trough carried by and extending horizontally across the interior of said container, said trough having an open inlet end and an opposite closed end and being composed of a bottom wall portion and front and rear elongated longitudinal side wall portions defining with said bottom wall portion a channel for receiving mercury; and bafiie means carried by said trough in the interior thereof and joined at least to said front wall portion for discharging mercury along said front wall portion from said trough into said container in a uniform, wave-free manner, said baffle means including a plurality of individual baffle elements distributed longitudinally along said trough and fixed to said front wall portion in the interior of said trough.

6. In an apparatus for distributing mercury which forms a horizontally moving mercury cathode in an alkali chloride electrolysis cell, in combination, a container for receiving recirculated mercury; an elongated trough carried by and extending horizontally across the interior of said container, said trough having an open inlet end and an opposite closed end and being composed of a bottom wall portion and front and rear elongated longitudinal side Wall portions defining with said bottom wall portion a channel for receiving mercury; and baffle means carried by said trough in the interior thereof and joined at least to said front wall portion for discharging mercury along said front wall portion from said trough into said container in a uniform, wave-free manner, said baffie means including a plurality of individual baflie elements dis- 7 8 tributed longitudinally along said trough and fixed to said References Cited front wall portion in the interior of said trough, said NIT h P S bafile elements each having a substantially L-shaped con- U ED SLATES ATENT figuration and including a pair of legs one of which is 2,230,023 1/1941 Ater} 204 219 fixed to said front Wall portion and the other of which is 5 3,046,215 7/1962 Sulhvan et 204*219 directed toward said inlet opening and said legs of said bafile elements which are respectively fixed to said front HOWARD WILLIAMS P r 1mm) Examiner Wall portion respectively having lengths which are progres- JOHN H. MACK, ROBERT K. MIHALEK,

sively greater as the distance of said bafile elements from Examiners. said inlet end of said trough is greater. 10 D. R. VALENTINE, Assistant Examiner. 

